Dive into fun and easy weather science, whether you’re teaching preschool or elementary, with simple weather STEM activities, demonstrations, engineering projects, and free weather worksheets. Here you will find weather theme activities kids can get excited about, you can do, and fit your budget! Simple science activities are the perfect way to introduce to kids how fun science learning can be!
Explore Weather Science For Kids
Spring is the perfect time of year for science! There are so many fun themes to explore. For this time of the year, our favorite topics to teach kids about spring include plants and rainbows, geology, Earth Day and of course weather!
Science experiments, demonstrations, and STEM challenges are awesome for kids to explore a weather theme! Kids are naturally curious and looking to explore, discover, check out, and experiment to discover why things do what they do, move as they move, or change as they change!
All our weather activities are designed with you, the parent or teacher, in mind! Easy to set up and quick to do, most activities will take only 15 to 30 minutes to complete and are filled with hands-on fun! Plus, our supplies lists usually contain only free or cheap materials you can source from home!
When it comes to doing weather activities for preschool through to middle school, keep it fun and hands-on. Pick science activities where kids can be involved and not just watch you!
Make sure to ask them plenty of questions about what they think will happen and what they see happening to encourage critical thinking and observation skills! Learn more about the scientific method for kids.
Earth Science for Kids
Weather science and meteorology are included under the branch of science known as Earth Science.
Earth Science is the study of the earth and everything that physically makes up it and its atmosphere. From the ground we walk on to the air we breathe, the wind that blows, and the oceans we swim in.
In Earth Science you learn about…
- Geology – the study of rocks and land.
- Oceanography – the study of oceans.
- Meteorology – the study of weather.
- Astronomy – the study of stars, planets, and space.
Earth Science includes the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. Weather deals with the day-to-day changes in the atmosphere that directly impact our lives. For example; should I take a rain jacket to the playground or not?
Keep these topics in mind for your weather lesson plans!
Water Cycle
The water cycle describes how water moves between the atmosphere, land, and oceans through evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.
Creating a foam rain cloud allows kids to represent and understand how clouds form and produce rain visually. You can also create a water cycle in a bag!
Types of Clouds
Clouds are essential elements of weather. As a result, by experimenting with a rain cloud model, you can how clouds produce rain. Our cloud viewer project has visuals for identifying clouds you can see!
Precipitation Types
Rain is the most well known form of precipitation. But what else falls from the sky? Snow, sleet, and hail are all forms of precipitation.
Real World Weather
Weather affects our daily lives, from what you decide to wear for the day or the activities you plan to do! Learning about weather through hands-on experiments helps kids connect scientific concepts with real-world experiences! Add this free printable weather tracker to the project.
Learn About What Causes Weather
Weather activities are a terrific addition to spring lesson plans but are versatile enough to use any time of the year, especially since we all experience different climates.
Kids will love exploring some of their favorite questions, such as:
- How do clouds form?
- Where does rain come from?
- What makes a tornado?
- How are rainbows made?
Don’t just answer their questions with an explanation; add one of these simple weather activities or experiment. Hands-on learning is the best way to engage kids and get them to ask questions and observe the world around them. Weather is a huge part of our daily life too!
Kids will love how hands-on and playful many weather activities are. You will love all the simple supplies they use! Plus, there’s no rocket science going on here. You can get these weather science experiments set up in no time. Open the pantry cupboards, and you are set to go!
These weather activities introduce many fun concepts revolving around temperature changes, cloud formation, water cycle, precipitation, and more…
Get your FREE printable weather project pack!
Weather Science For Preschool, Elementary, and Middle School
If you’re planning a weather unit, look through the activities below. There is a terrific range for kiddos as young as preschool right through middle school.
Weather Science Activities
Explore clouds, rainbows, rain, and more with these simple weather science experiments and activities.
Name The Weather
Grab this free weather playdough mat set for kindergarten and preschool weather activities. Perfect for adding to a weather theme science center!
Four Seasons Worksheets
Get ready for a fantastic journey through the four seasons! Explore the unique characteristics of each season, the weather changes, the types of clothes we wear, and the fun activities we can enjoy throughout the year with these printable worksheets! Suitable for preschool and kindergarten. Pair them with these seasons activities for kids.
Rain Cloud In A Jar
Kids will love this hands-on rain cloud activity with shaving cream! A fluffy mound of white shaving cream makes the perfect cloud ready to rain down in the water below. This easy-to-set-up weather activity uses only three common supplies (one is water) and explores the question, why does it rain?
Tornado In A Bottle
Have you ever wondered how a tornado works or how does a tornado form? This simple tornado-in-a-bottle weather activity explores how tornadoes spin. Learn about the weather conditions behind a tornado too!
How Does Rain Form
Where does rain come from? If your kids have asked you this question, this rain cloud weather activity is the perfect answer! All you need is water, a sponge and a bit of simple science information and kids can explore rain clouds indoors or outdoors!
Making Rainbows
How are rainbows made? Is there a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow? While I can’t answer about the pot of gold, find out how light and water produce rainbows.
Make A Cloud Viewer
Make your very own cloud viewer and take it outside for a fun cloud identification activity. You can even keep a cloud journal!
Cloud In A Jar
How are clouds formed? Make a cloud you can actually see and learn about the weather conditions that help form clouds? The kids will be amazed by this easy weather activity in a jar.
Layers of the Atmosphere
Learn about the Earth’s atmosphere with these fun printable worksheets and games. Find out which layer is responsible for the weather we experience on Earth.
Water Cycle In A Bottle
How does the water cycle work? Make a water cycle discovery bottle to check it out up close! Learn how water cycles through the Earth’s oceans, land, and atmosphere with a simple to make water cycle model.
Water Cycle In A Bag
The water cycle is important because it is how water gets to all the plants, animals and even us!! Here’s a different variation of the water cycle with an easy water cycle in a bag experiment.
Weather & The Environment
Explore different ways the weather affects our environment.
Acid Rain Experiment
What happens to plants when rain is acidic? Set up an easy acid rain science project with this flowers in vinegar experiment. Explore what causes acid rain and what can be done about it.
How Does Rain Cause Soil Erosion?
Explore how the weather, particularly wind and water plays a big part in soil erosion with this soil erosion demonstration!
Stormwater Runoff Demonstration
What happens to rain or melting snow when it can’t go into the ground? Set up an easy storm water runoff model with your kids to demonstrate what happens.
Weather STEM Activities
Enjoy these weather building activities!
DIY Anemometer
Build a simple DIY anemometer like meteorologists use to measure the direction of the wind and its speed.
DIY Rain Gauge
Find out how to make your own DIY rain gauge and take it outdoors to measure the amount of rainfall in your local area.
Make A Windmill
Build a windmill from simple supplies and take it outside to test the wind speed.
Build A Wind Vane
Make a simple wind vane that you can take outdoors to find out what direction the wind is blowing in.
DIY Thermometer
What temperature is it outside? Make and test a homemade thermometer any time of the year.
Make A Sundial
The sun’s position in the sky says a great deal about the time of the day! Go ahead, make a sundial, and test it.
Build A Solar Oven
Want to explore just how hot the sun’s rays are outside? Make your own DIY solar oven and enjoy a sweet treat on an extra hot day.
Printable Spring Project Pack
If you’re looking to grab all of the worksheets and printables in one convenient place plus exclusives with a spring theme, our 300+ page Spring STEM Project Pack is what you need! Weather, geology, plants, life cycles, and more!
4 Comments
Comments are closed.